Love Your Work
What Pirkei Avos teaches us about careers, purpose, and the divine beauty of our daily labor
In a world obsessed with “work-life balance,” Pirkei Avos throws us a curveball: “Love work.”
Not tolerate it. Not endure it. Love it.
What does that mean? Why would a spiritual text encourage such a strong emotional connection to our careers?
This week marks the return of the weekly study of Pirkei Avos. Avos is a tremendous collection of essential ideas, and the thousands of commentaries written on it testify to its popularity. My favorite aspect of these mishnayos is the many fundamental ideas they offer about working, Torah learning, and the relationship between the two.
Last year, we did five podcast episodes on this topic, including one with Rav Reuven Taragin. This year, I hope to share some ideas in writing—building on what we discussed in those episodes, but with a fresh twist.
In the first chapter that we learn this week, the Mishna states:
משנה מסכת אבות פרק א משנה י
שמעיה ואבטליון קבלו מהם.
שמעיה אומר: אהוב את המלאכה, ושנא את הרבנות, ואל תתודע לרשות.
Shemaiah and Avtalyon received from them. Shemaiah says: Love work, despise authority, and do not become too familiar with the ruling powers.
The question is: Why should we love our work? The Torah glorifies spiritual accomplishments—so why is the Mishna encouraging us to embrace our jobs?
Interestingly, the Gemara learns the obligation of a father to teach his son a trade from a comparison to marriage:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת קידושין דף ל עמוד ב
ללמדו אומנות. מנלן?
אמר חזקיה: דאמר קרא: ראה חיים עם אשה אשר אהבת—אם אשה ממש היא, כשם שחייב להשיאו אשה, כך חייב ללמדו אומנות;
אם תורה היא, כשם שחייב ללמדו תורה, כך חייב ללמדו אומנות.
The Gemara (Kiddushin 30b) asks: From where do we know that a father must teach his son a trade? Chizkiyah answers by quoting the verse: “See life with the woman whom you love.” If this refers to an actual wife, just as one must help his son marry, so too he must teach him a trade. If it refers to Torah, just as he must teach him Torah, he must also teach him a trade.
Even though some might argue this is “just an asmachta” (a support verse rather than a true proof), I was taught by my rabbeim that any time a lesson is drawn from a pasuk, there's deep meaning to uncover. So we have one source telling us to love our work, and another comparing a trade to a spouse. What’s the principle behind this comparison?
One possible explanation can be drawn from a Gemara in Berachos:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף מג עמוד ב
ואמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב:
מאי דכתיב: את הכל עשה יפה בעתו—מלמד שכל אחד ואחד יפה לו הקדוש ברוך הוא אומנתו בפניו.
Rav Zutra bar Tuviah said in the name of Rav: What does the verse mean, “He made everything beautiful in its time”? It teaches that God made each person’s trade appear beautiful to him.
Rashi comments on this passage:
רש"י מסכת ברכות דף מג עמוד ב ד"ה יפה לו
ואפילו בורסי נאה לו אומנתו בעיניו, ועשה הקדוש ברוך הוא כן שלא יחסר העולם אומנות.
Even a tanner finds his trade beautiful. God designed the world this way so that no necessary profession would be lacking.
Rashi explains that jobs are “beautiful” because people are naturally drawn to different types of work. Even jobs that most would find unattractive—like tanning—can be meaningful and engaging to the person who does them. This diversity of interests is part of Hashem’s perfect design, allowing all the roles society needs to be filled.
Based on this framework, we can understand why work is compared to love and marriage. For the world to continue, people must form families—and that only works if men and women are drawn to one another. Similarly, for society to function, people must feel emotionally connected to different careers. Just as each couple is unique, each person’s “match” with a profession is part of the world’s divine order.
So, why is it important to love your work?
We can now offer two interconnected answers. First, a person’s career is uniquely suited to them, and their emotional connection to it reflects a cosmic harmony. Second, this “relationship” with work is what allows the world to function—it’s how society continues to exist. And just like in a healthy marriage, love and commitment to that relationship make all the difference.
In a world where people often separate meaning from work, this Mishna offers a bold counterpoint: your job isn’t just a means to an end—it can be a deeply personal, even spiritual, part of your life. What’s not to love about that?